Need help with approximately dating two ERN razors

[Polarbeard]

I can´t seem to be able to date these two straights. Any help is welcome. The first one I bought was the one with yellow celluloid scales. It is a really good shaver so when I stumbled upon the one with black bakelite scales I made sure to make it mine as well. Since I like them I would very much appreciate if you gentlemen could help me narrow down when they were made.

• First clue: dreadnaught point. To me that indicates sometime about 1900-1919.
• Second clue: The yellow razor is marked with the crown&sword symbol and “Made in Germany”. When did production country become mandatory?
• Third clue: The black one has faint remains of the eagle&serpent symbol and “Wald Solingen 2200”. No trace of any markings of production country.
• Fourth clue: The blade etching on the black razor “5 AARS GARANTI ELECTRICA IMP.” Is to be translated “Five year (misspelled) warranty Electric Imported”. My guess is that we have to go back to the time before the first world war to find a time when “electric” was something fancy to put on a razor blade, but then again I might be wrong.

Once again, any help is very velcome. These are very good razors, their only shortcoming is that the length of the edges could be a wee shorter. They are about 3’’.


Kind Regards
Polarbeard

 

[Malacoda]

Goin's Encyclopedia of Cutlery Markings lists the crown over sword logo as being circa 1896, and the eagle on snake logo as circa 1874. None of the other info about their logos beyond that though.

So, pretty safe to say the bottom razor with the eagle on snake logo is from between 1874 and 1896.

Add it your timeframe for the dreadnaught point and it is quite likely the top razor is from between 1896 - 1919.

 

[Polarbeard]

Thank you Malacoda. Your answer is very appreciated. Being a person with a huge interest for history I find it really annoying two own to very liked (now proven antique by you) razors without being able to put them into their historical content. I really wish there was a website that contained all the Solingen firms historical straight razor product catalogues. If the archives weren't destroyed during the war the catalogues must be out there somewhere.

 

[BSAGuy]

I can't help with ID, but those are very nice. Congrats.

 

[GBinOZ]

Hey Arne,

Congratulations on your score. I think that you may have a couple of razors produced by Carl Friedrich Ern who used the Crown and Sword and Eagle and Snake trademarks, amongst others. Check out this wiki and thread.

http://straightrazorplace.com/srpwiki/index.php/Ern,_Carl_Friedrich

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/262756-Post-your-pictures-ERN-Razors

Ern hade one of the largest factories in Solingen but today is highly under-rated. I have an Eagle and Snake in the mail to me and am looking for an "Ator", which is another of his trademarks. Enjoy. They are reputably formidable shavers. But you probably knew this and are looking specifically for a date for each. Can't help in that regard.

Cheers, George

 

[Polarbeard]

Thank you very much George. I haven´t got the Ator, I´d like to get one, but I´ve got to the stage where I have all the razors I need and can keep in rotation. I´m actually at the point where I´m acquiring the last backups for the really good ones, hence the two identical blades in this post. They are really good shavers besides from being historical artefacts.

It makes me really happy to know that you also are venturing deeper into the straight razor sea. Unfortunately it´s a journey with no return, except for an occasional meeting with an old love like the Gillette old type. I haven´t forgotten my promise to you.

 

[johnmrson]

The bottom one has "Made in Germany" which will make it after 1891.

 

[GBinOZ]

I haven´t got the Ator, I´d like to get one, but I´ve got to the stage where I have all the razors I need and can keep in rotation.
It makes me really happy to know that you also are venturing deeper into the straight razor sea. Unfortunately it´s a journey with no return, except for an occasional meeting with an old love like the Gillette old type.

Absolutely agree on the need/rotation aspect Arne. I am fighting RAD too. The Ern Master is the other razor in that brand that I would like. I am also keen on Bengalls and Kropps, two brands which are unadorned but effective and which were favoured by my grandfather 100 years ago. It appears that the ship has sailed on that one way journey for both of us. All the best my friend.

Cheers, George